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Pasadena resident Stephon Jarrod Davis II, now 20, was found to be complicit by a jury after a five-day trial for his role in the murder of Anaya Jannah Abdul during a bout of rage against his family.
He was 17 years old at the time of the murder and a rising senior at Chesapeake High School.
"(Davis) was angry at his family and he took it out on the youngest and most vulnerable member by stabbing his little sister to death,” Leitess said. “He wrote a note to his mother and siblings stating that he hated and wanted to kill them all, but decided that one was enough to cause damage."
On Oct. 3, 2020, Anne Arundel County Police responded to the 4100 block of Apple Leaf Court in Pasadena after receiving a 911 call from a family member at the address stating that a black Dodge Charger sedan was missing.
The family member said that no one had permission to drive it and that Davis, was also missing, according to a spokesperson from the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney.
Prosecutors said that when officers arrived, they learned that a family member had woken up, checked her phone, and saw that at 3 a.m. there was a doorbell camera notification of movement in her front yard.
She could see on the camera that Davis got into the family’s minivan that was parked in the front part of the driveway in front of the garage and moved it to the street.
A doorbell camera at a neighbor’s home from across the street then showed the garage door of the family’s home opening and a dark sedan exited the garage, quickly speeding away from the family home, officials noted.
The police were notified by the residents when they discovered “a concerning note they believed had been written by (Davis),” according to prosecutors. “While the police were on scene, it was discovered that (Abdul) was (dead) in her bed,” which prompted Anne Arundel County Police to issue a critically missing person alert for him.
Later that day, investigators said that Davis was tracked to an area on I-70 in Springfield, Ohio, and when state police attempted to pull him over, he attempted to flee, hitting 131 mph during the high-speed pursuit.
Officials said that Davis eventually slowed down, pulled over onto the shoulder of the roadway, and he was taken into custody without further incident and extradited back to Anne Arundel County to face the murder charge.
Davis pleaded guilty to the murder in October last year, and opted for a bi-furcated trial on the issue of criminal responsibility, which meant he "would have to convince a jury that because of a mental disorder, he either couldn't conform his behavior to the law or could not appreciate the criminality of his actions," according to Leitess.
Expert witnesses agreed that Davis suffered from some mental health disorders, but could not reach an accord about whether or not he should be deemed criminally responsible for the murder.
"I am grateful that the jury rejected his attempt to avoid responsibility for this unthinkable crime by claiming that he heard a 'noise' and was compelled to kill his sister," Leitess said. "It is a terrible thing to have to prosecute a young person for such a horrific crime, but he had to be held accountable for it.
"This verdict is the truth of what happened to the victim and, in some small measure, justice for Anaya and closure for her family and loved ones."
When he is sentenced, Davis will face life in prison.
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